WhatsApp says Russia trying to block it ‘to drive people to state-owned surveillance app’

By Kanyshai Butun

ISTANBUL (AA) - Russia on Thursday attempted to fully block WhatsApp in “an effort to drive people to a state-owned surveillance app,” Meta-owned social media reported.

“Today the Russian government attempted to fully block WhatsApp in an effort to drive people to a state-owned surveillance app,” the company said in a post on US social media company X. “Trying to isolate over 100 million users from private and secure communication is a backwards step and can only lead to less safety for people in Russia.”

The reference is to MAX, a state-developed “super app” that combines messaging and government services. Since 2025, Russian authorities have mandated its pre-installation on all new devices sold in the country and required its use by public sector employees and students.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that resumption of full service for WhatsApp is possible if the platform complies with Russian law, state news agency Tass reported.

"This is a matter of complying with the law. If the Meta corporation complies with it and enters into dialogue with the Russian authorities, then an opportunity to reach an agreement will arise," he said.

The Kremlin representative emphasized that there will be no chance for the service's return if the company continues to ignore Russia's demands.

"If the corporation maintains such an uncompromising position and, I would say, demonstrates a complete unwillingness to abide by Russian legislation, then there are no chances," he said.

Russia assumes that WhatsApp is used to organize and carry out terrorist activities within the country and is also one of the main services used to defraud and extort money from citizens.

Meanwhile, the Messenger domain has disappeared from Russia's communications regulator (Roskomnadzor) National Domain Name System server, Kommersant newspaper reported on Wednesday.

Devices no longer receive the messenger's IP address, and it can only be accessed through a VPN, the news outlet reported.

The domains whatsapp.com and web.whatsapp.com have disappeared from the NDNS; meanwhile, the domain for quick links wa.me and the technical domain whatsapp.net remain on Roskomnadzor's list.

Russia’s Kremlin is establishing its own digital ecosystem that is disconnected from the Western network in an economic transformation triggered by the war in Ukraine and related Western sanctions.

In 2022, Russian authorities listed Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, as a terrorist and extremist organization.

Since 2019, US social media companies X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and video platform YouTube have been blocked in Russia for failing to comply with the national legislation.